No Gifts or Cards Needed
by journeyman07
Summary: Ronon and Jennifer. No plot, just pure fluffiness written for lj Valentines Day challenge and heading there imminently. Please read and review.


Written for the prompt 'wearing black if you're single'. Apologies that this is all I've managed in a while, real life and all that, you know. Your feedback is always appreciated though, thanks x

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Jennifer Keller rubbed her neck and stretched wearily. Her day was just about over at long last and her whole body ached from being so busy. There had been a steady stream of infirmary visitors with the latest mysterious cold-like virus caught from trips to the mainland, one or two bone fractures and some strange stomach complaints. Not for the first time was she grateful for Carson Beckett's comprehensive data base of information on the conditions he'd treated over the years in the Pegasus galaxy. She enjoyed the puzzle of these new illnesses as a rule, but right now she really needed to sleep.

Closing down her computer, Jennifer yawned again and made her way towards her quarters, barely registering anyone she passed along the way.

The room was in darkness as she entered, so she palmed the lighting to a low hue – enough to see where her bed was.

Except the bed wasn't exactly empty as she expected.

Slowing softly to a halt, Jennifer allowed herself a small smile at the sight before her. Ronon Dex lay spread out on her small bed, fast asleep on his stomach, the covers half thrown back to reveal his bare back, shoulders and arms. She shook her head in amusement and secret pleasure at the quiet but confident presumption in this gesture.

Since the quarantine lockdown Ronon had made it quite clear that he wanted her. He'd made sure they always ate together when he wasn't off-world, he visited her in the infirmary at least once a day and rarely now with any wounds as an excuse and he positively growled at any other man who came near her for any reason at all it seemed. Sometimes Jennifer still couldn't quite believe it was true – once upon a time people would have said he was hardly her type, and yet here he was all the same. Expectations, being the right type and adopting the accepted rituals of courtship just didn't figure in Ronon Dex's mindset. This same mindset, she suspected, allowed him to let himself into her quarters and decide to take up residence in her bed until she returned.

Looking at Ronon asleep, she relished a moment to take in the breadth of his powerful shoulders and the hard muscle that was packed around them. Her body shivered as it remembered what it was like to be held close by that strength in moments of recent passion. After some weeks of stomach-flipping flirtation, increasingly heated kisses and lingering looks, Ronon had come striding into her quarters late one night and…Jennifer smiled at the memory…the only words for it being that he came to her quarters that night and…took her. Not that she'd resisted, of course, not at all. She'd had enough of foreplay by then and was more than ready for the real thing. That had been three weeks ago. Most nights since then Jennifer had enjoyed Ronon's ability to make love with the same voracious, passionate and warm honest appetite that he had for everything else in life. Maybe it was due to living so close to the edge, or so close to death for such a long time, but the Satedan loved her like it was going out of fashion, like it might be the last time…each time.

She studied him carefully, her head to one side. Ronon looked younger in sleep; Jennifer guessed he was probably of similar age to himself but didn't know for sure. The scars on his back told of horror stories that she couldn't even begin to imagine and he rarely mentioned his past as it was. Jennifer knew he had trained himself to live in the present, for the sake of survival and now she hoped for the sake their flourishing relationship as well as his well earned place on Atlantis.

'Jen,' she snapped out of her reverie at his deep rumble. How did he know she was here? He hadn't moved or given any indication, but now Ronon rolled over, yawned and opened his eyes to look at her.

'Hey,' she replied and smiled at him as he brushed long dreadlocks out of his eyes.

'Saw you were busy, so thought I'd wait here,' he explained and grinned at her, hands reaching behind his head nonchalantly, knowing any potential objections she had to his effective invasion of her space would quickly dissipate.

Jennifer found herself grinning back despite herself; Ronon's occasional smiles invariably did that to her, as well as turning her insides to something akin to jelly. They lit his whole face and literally dazzled her at times- especially as they were almost always exclusively directed her way.

'Didn't know you knew the door combination,' she remarked wryly, the smile still on her face.

Ronon shrugged and said nothing.

'Why aren't you with Sheppard and the others?' she then added, removing her jacket and laying it on the chair.

'He's…uh…' Ronon paused, thinking, 'caught up with organising some party for...,' he struggled to recall the word the colonel had used, 'Valentines…?'

'Ah,' Jennifer nodded knowingly and chuckled. John Sheppard's reputation for creating lavish social events was legendary across the city, even if his energy for it always left her a little bemused. She assumed he must simply enjoy seeing the various personnel from the city mix and relax. Or was that just the surface motivation? Did it hide some bigger private issue for the colonel? She didn't really know him well enough to pursue that one however, but she couldn't help but speculate.

'Valentines…a day for buying gifts and cards for the one you love from afar, so they might have the chance to guess how you feel,' she tried to explain, her cheeks flushing a little under Ronon's gaze.

'Yeah,' that made sense to Ronon from what Sheppard had said, 'he wants all those not in a couple to wear black…' he paused, genuinely puzzled, 'black is the colour of death on your planet isn't it? It was on Sateda.'

Jennifer nodded and then it was her turn to shrug. Clearly she really did have a long way to go before understanding John Sheppard.

'Do you want to go?' he asked her next, watching her undress with undisguised appreciation.

Jennifer slid beneath the covers and pressed herself up against his warm, bare skin and sighed contentedly, her head coming to rest on Ronon's shoulder. He pulled her even closer, his arms encircling her possessively as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Atlantis' quiet, yet inwardly tough CMO made him happier than he had been in many years. He loved being with her.

'Well, I'm not wearing black,' she murmured sleepily, her hand absently tracing lazy circles on his muscular chest. Ronon felt his flesh sensitise immediately to her gentle, yet incredibly sensual touch and his muscles constricted making him gasp a little. Breathing out, he tried to calm the wave of arousal she created in him as best as he could – she was tired, he could see that.

'Good,' he replied and squeezed her affectionately. Jennifer's breathing began to slow and quieten, her body completely relaxed in his arms. Ronon listened to this and felt his own heartbeat slow almost in tandem with hers.

'Do you need gifts and cards to know how much I love you, Jen?' Ronon found himself asking interrupting the long moment of quiet, considering her description of the Valentines festival that Sheppard seemed to think was so important. If it was that much of an important festival on Earth, he figured he'd better check out what it meant to Jennifer.

She raised her head then and looked at him surprised, startled at the unexpected and heartfelt declaration from this man of few words. Reaching up, Jennifer stroked Ronon's face slowly and shook her head. For once she was able to meet his intense green-eyed gaze directly without blushing or quivering like jelly. He loved her; she loved him – the simplicity of this became her whole universe in that instant – what else mattered?

'No,' she whispered truthfully, deeply touched, her whole body warming from the inside out, 'no cards or gifts needed, Ronon,'

'Ok,' he held her eyes, caressing her chin and finally allowing himself to bask in her love for him, 'so I wont be wearing any black either then,'


End file.
